"'When I walked in, I thought, 'Oh my gosh, what if they
did this in a Chipotle format?'" Ells said.

The Mexican chain spent the next 18 months helping the pizzeria
adapt to a faster format with a rotating hot oven and affordable
ingredients. The new Pizzeria Locale launched in May.

"We realized we could change the ways people think about
pizza...how can we serve the same ingredients at less than half
the price. Shockingly, it's worked,"
Ells said.

The experience at Pizzeria Locale is similar to Chipotle, WSJ
reports.

"Diners standing in line choose
from toppings like fresh mozzarella and prosciutto while watching
their food being made," Nassauer writes. "Individual 11-inch pies
cost around $6.50 and take a few minutes to make. Diners pay at
the counter."

So-called "better pizza" chains have been competing to get a
share of the booming fast-casual market.

For now, Pizzeria Locale is exploring the option of opening more
locations in Denver.

Here are some photos of the pizza chain:

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